I have this blog as a place to share my creative self -- be it card making, music playing, scrapbooking, altered art, home decor, or whatever direction my art takes me. My dogs are always a part of my home life, so they have to be a part of my blog, too.

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Friday, December 28, 2012

The last Friday of 2012! Happy New Year, everyone! I hope to play along with Friends with Flair every Friday that I can in 2013. Maybe that should be my new year's resolution?!? Sounds like a fun one to me!

I have two very similar cards to share with you today. I used them for Christmas thank you cards. I used non traditional Christmas papers on them, and my new favorite Unity stamp -- Bernie. He is soooo adorable. He makes me smile!

The papers are by Fancy Pants, but were from a Grab Bag so I don't know the specific line. I cut the Neenah Solar White cardstock square with a Spellbinders die, and the scalloped square behind it is also a Spellbinders die. Bernie was colored with Copic markers, then blinged up with Viva Decor Glitter pens. The snow on the log was enhanced with a Viva Decor pearl pen (white). I wrapped some baker's twine from the Ribbon Carousel around the striped paper.

This card is very similar, except I used some ribbon from 3 Girl Jam, found here: http://www.3girljam.com/product/seasons-bundle. I also used a different Spellbinder die (Label 26) to cut the shape behind the square. It's difficult to see on the two cards, but I sponged around the owl with Tim Holtz spun sugar ink.

I hope you enjoyed today's cards, and the many other awesome Friends With Flair entries. There's another great sale at Unity, so check it out!

Thursday, December 27, 2012

My husband had to work on Christmas Eve Day, and I had to work part of Christmas Day. As I was waiting for him to get home from work, I whipped up these treat boxes to give to his family. I filled each box with some of their favorite chocolates. Christmas and chocolate go hand-in-hand, don't you think?

I used papers from Echo Park Dots and Stripes Christmas, Making Memories, and Basic Grey. Ribbons are from 3 Girl Jam, Really Reasonable ribbon, and Ribbon Carousel. I am entering these boxes in the RRR challenge #62 -- Anything Goes and ribbon, and the Ribbon Carousel Challenge 75 - The Holidays.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Merry Christmas, Unity peeps! It's Friday, so time for Friends With Flair. It's been another busy week for most of us, I'm guessing, so I'm keeping this short. I have two cards to share this week. Both are Christmas cards, using non-traditional colors.

The top card uses Ippity stamp set "naughty. nice. not sure." The bottom card uses Ippity Itty Bitty "most Wonderful time". Papers are all Fancy Pants Christmas papers, but they were from a grab bag, so I don't know what collection(s). I used twine and silver shimmer trim from CTMH on the top card, ribbon from Reasonable Ribbon on the bottom one. Both cards are colored with Copic markers. The bottom card is sponged with Tim Holtz antique linen ink. The top card has some Stickles on it, while the bottom was has some Liquid Pearls.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

I made some boxes over the weekend for my staff. We are having a get-together after work on Friday. Each staff is getting a little different box filled with chocolates as part of their gift from me. Here's a couple of them to share with you.

I used Echo Park's Dots & Stripes Christmas 12x12 papers. The box on the left was cut on the Silhouette Cameo. The box on the right was cut on the Cricut Expression 2 using the Fall & Winter Tablescapes cartridge. The boxes are decorated with Unity stamps (Snowflake Kisses), ribbons from Reasonable Ribbon, 3 Girl Jam, and Ribbon Carousel, a stocking charm, and clear bling from CTMH.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Happy, happy, happy, happy Friday! I can't tell you how badly I need for this to be Friday. My schedule in December is always insane, and by about the middle of the month, I start wearing down physically and mentally. TGIF! I NEED the weekend!

I have a mix of cards to share with you, my Unity FWF peeps. I hope you like them. Creating them was a definite stress relief for me.

The first card, I created last weekend for my husband. Our 29th anniversary was Dec. 10th. I wanted a card that let him know how much I loved him without being overly gushy. I thought this non-traditional card worked out just fine.

He's a no-nonsense kind of guy, so I left off any glitter, bling, or ribbon. Inside, I stamped a sentiment that said, "you + me = (heart) -- and it's an actual heart shape but I don't know how to do that on my computer. Then I wrote a mushy message just 'cause! I used American Crafts white cardstock for the base, Neenah solar white cardstock for the image, stamped with Memento black and colored with Copic markers. I'd never used grays to tone down colors before, so it was a new technique for me. There's also some CTMH Kraft cardstock there. The crayon image is from Unity's August, 2012 Kit of the Month. The 'so happy' arrows are from Unity's November Kit of the month.

I'm thinking they'll be lots of Christmas cards this week on FWF. Tis the season, after all. I do have one to share. It's not strictly Christmas, but I used it as a thank you for an early Christmas present I received and it uses Christmas paper.

I used this card for a challenge on Cropchocolate.com. Three hearts out of designer paper was the challenge. I'm also entering it in this month's Unity kit of the month sketch challenge, ribbon carousel's Holiday spirit challenge, and 3 girl Jam's Christmas challenge. I used a Unity stamp of the week, Mug of Hugs (WIB-425), and Echo Park's Season's Greetings 6x6 paper on this card. The base is CTMH cardstock. I used Copic markers on the mug, a Creative Memories heart punch, and reasonable ribbon baker's twine. The circle was cut with a Lifestyle Crafts circle die.

The last card comes with stories. First, a disclaimer. I am NOT a football fan. That being said, I enjoy a good rivalry and can smack talk with the best of them. My life is also easier when the Packers win on Sunday because my co-workers are happier on Monday. Well, in this wonderful online scrapping community, I have gotten involved in some football rivalries. One is with Sharondoesbaskets, from Chicago. So, I made her this card and dropped it in the mail hoping she gets it in time for kick off.

The bird was cut on my Cricut, using the 3 Birds on Parade cartridge. Papers are from LYB Acorn Hollow 6x6 paper pad. I got to ink up some of the new Susan K. Weckesser stamps I recently won, using the "a little bit washi" set on this card. And, I got to play with some of the new crinkle ribbon I won from 3 Girl Jam, found HERE. It is GREAT ribbon to work with! The speech bubble was again cut on my Cricut Expression 2, using the CTMH Artiste cartridge, and a CTMH chipboard speech bubble. I'm going to enter this in the Unity Sketch challenge, also. Sharon will love it, don't you think?

Monday, December 10, 2012

First, I want to say how much fun I had being Unity's Growing in Unity girl last week. Reading all your great comments warmed my heart. I put all your comments for the 5 days together and chose one winner. This person will get TWO free Itty Bitty's from Unity. That person is:

are you ready?

yes, I chose...

Ava Gavloski!

Congratulations, Ava! I know you are a Unity lover, so start shopping! Let me know your two choices and I'll pass the info on to Unity.

Then, I chose one winner from my 100th post to win the Susan K Weckesser stamps and other goodies I put together. It's quite a package, if I do say so myself. You'll be happy with this bundly of scrappy goodness. I used random.org to choose the winner for this, and #36 was chosen. That is:

again,

are you ready?

un hunh...

#36 is SHartl

Please contact me with your mailing address so I can get your package out to you. Again, congratulations winners!

Friday, December 7, 2012

I'm celebrating! And I want to share the joy with you. I have so much to be thankful for -- 130 followers since I began my blog in March, 2011. Today is my 100th blog post, so it seems like the perfect time for a giveaway. And, I'm celebrating the prize package I got in the mail today. I won the Unity/Susan K. Weckesser bloghop prize package last Thursday. It arrived today. In a BIG box. Well, I was expecting a stampset or two, but it ended up being 18 (eighteen)*****18---EIGHTEEN Susan K. Weckesser/Unity Brand stamp sets. Wow! I was blown away by the generosity of these 2 companies. So, I'm going to share the joy with you, my loyal blog followers. First, though, my 5th day Growing In Unity project:

I used my Silhouette to cut out the 3D letters, then glued them together (very putzy, I didn't like this part of the project at all -- I almost gave up). Then, I used various Unity images to embellish the letters. Designer papers are Echo Park Very Merry Christmas 12x12. Stamp sets used were: Kit of the month (Aug. '12), and 3 Itty Bitty's: Sweet Christmas Wishes (IB-203), Stuffed with Joy Stocking (IB-423), and, in honor of my big win, One of a Kind Winter by Susan Weckesser (IB-SB-326). I used ribbon and twine from Ribbon Carousel and am going to enter it in their Holiday Spirit challenge. I'm also entering this in 3 girl JAM's Christmas inspiration challenge.

Here's a little different angle so you can see the 3D a little better.

I took a picture of the stamps I won:

Isn't that incredible? I can hardly wait until I have some time to get them inky!

Now, here's your chance to win some scrappy goodness. I am going to put a prize package together for a lucky winner. It will include some Susan Weckesser stamps that I have duplicates of, some Christmas 6x6 paper and 12x12 paper, various embellishments, and some ribbon. There'll be some other stamps in it, too. You'll like it, I promise! Please follow my blog if you don't already, leave a comment, and I'll pick a winner on Monday. And remember, someone will win 2 Unity Itty Bitty's for commenting on my Growing In Unity posts this week, so go back and comment on each day to increase your chance to win. Leave me a way to contact you, please.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

I have another Phyllis Harris stamp set to feature today (made by Unity, of course). This is one of my favorites.

My own Golden Retrievers HAVE to have something in their mouths. Sammy runs around with hats and gloves every chance he gets. I'm sure this stamp was fashioned with Sammy in mind.

The papers are Fancy Pants Designs Hot Chocolate. The stamp set (Cold Outside) was colored with Copic markers. The shape was cut with a Spellbinders diecut.

Make sure to comment on today's post so you have a chance to win two Itty Bitty's by Unity. They are giving them away to one lucky winner that I will choose on the weekend. If you haven't already, go back through the rest of the week and comment on those posts to increase your chances to win.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

I'm so pleased to have you stop by and visit my blog today! If you've missed the past two days, please go back and comment. Unity is giving away to Itty Bitty stamps to one luck commenter at the end of the week (I'll pick the winner on the weekend) so make sure you comment each day. Also, if you have time, look back to the card I made and entered in Mojo Monday's card sketch on Sunday. I love those adorable penguins -- Unity stamps, of course.

Today's card was inspired by a wish to show some women I craft with the many uses for washi tape. I'm in love with the stuff and they hadn't realized the potential of it yet. I made a few cards using it in various ways to show them. This is one of the cards.

The stamp is an Itty Bitty -- Sweet Christmas Wishes. It has an adorable penguin sitting on a candy cane that goes with it. I glittered up a piece of packaging (I used a punch to get the star shape) by running it through a Xyron sticker maker and then sprinkling gold glitter on it. Then, I ran it through again to adhere it to the card. I hope you like today's card.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

My second day of being featured by Unity Stamp Company. Make sure to leave me a comment so you can be eligible to win two Itty Bitty stamps of your choice. How fun is that?

I love Unity stamps, and some of my favorites are those that are co-branded for Phyllis Harris. I recently got into Copic markers, and her images are perfect for me to learn with. Plus, there are 3 Golden Retrievers in my house so she and I think alike, LOL. I love how her sweet images take me right back to childhood.

I recently made 21 Phyllis Harris cards for a friend of mine. It was the first time anyone had ever ordered cards from me and had me design them. She told me which images she wanted, and that she wanted old fashioned papers and no bling or ribbons. This is one of the cards I made for her.

The designer papers are October Afternoon. The cardstock base is Carta Bella Kraft. The image is colored with Copic markers. The stamp set is Unity's Make a Wish (Phyllis Harris). I hope you like today's card.

Monday, December 3, 2012

I am so excited to be this week's Growing in Unity girl! I have an excuse to make cards and get inky! What could be more fun? I have so many wonderful Unity stamps that it'll be tough figuring out which ones to use, but I'll figure it out somehow ;) Make sure you comment each day because this generous company, Unity, is giving away to Itty Bitty stamps at the end of the week for one lucky commenter. The more often you comment, the better your chance of winning.

Here's my card for today. There's not much stamping, but I wanted to get in the Christmas spirit since it's December now. I saw this idea on the cover of a card magazine at the grocery store (sorry, I don't remember which one). I'm not even sure how closely I remembered it, but this is my take on it.

The sentiment is from Unity's Christmas Eve Chowder (Jillibean Soup). The washi tape is from Target. The white and kraft cardstock are both from Close To My Heart. The ribbon is from my stash. I hope you enjoy my card.﻿

Sunday, December 2, 2012

My good online friend, Lucy, introduced me to Mojo Monday last week. I made this card planning to use it for my Growing In Unity week coming up but realized today that the challenge closes before my week begins, so I'll post this today and hope to find time to make another card during the week. First, my card:

Aren't those penguins the cutest? The stamp set is Unity's Christmas Eve Chowder (Jillibean Soup). Designer papers are all October Afternoon. The card base is kraft cardstock by Close To My Heart. I colored the penguins with Copic markers, and although you can't see it in this picture, their bellies and hats have some Stickles glitter glue on them to add some sparkle.

And, here's the sketch I used for the card.

I hope you enjoyed my card. And thanks to Lucy for telling me about Mojo Monday!﻿

Friday, November 30, 2012

I've been having a great time with the Nov. Unity Kit of the Month. I LOVE the feather stamps. They've been getting lots of inky action. Here's some cards I made with them:

These first two cards I left plain and flat for easy mailing. After looking at them for a bit, I thought maybe they needed some bling.

So, there's my "bling-y" versions. Still very simple, but some sparkle was added. Then, a friend told me about a color challenge on the Authentique blog. All the paper on these cards is Authentique, so I decided to check it out. With a little modification, the same theme worked for their color challenge. Here's the colors of the challenge: slate blue, denim, and leather.

And here's the card I made...

I'm guessing you've seen plenty of feathers, so on you go for more Friends With Flair inspiration.

Friday, November 23, 2012

I want to thank everyone for visiting my blog and leaving comments. I treasure you and your kind words. Fridays are particularly special because of Unity FWF. I treasure the connections I've made!

I have three cards to share with you this day after Thanksgiving (here in the US). Two were given out at our Thanksgiving feast yesterday. One was given to my in-laws, the other to my sister-in-law. The third card was mailed to an elderly friend of mine with a great sense of humor.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

I'm writing this on Thanksgiving Eve. We had a wonderful Family celebration at the nursing home where I work today. We have much to be thankful for. I've made a few projects this week and am going to post a couple this evening because I have a little free time before I have to start preparing for Thanksgiving. Plus, I need a bit of a rest from my 10 hour on-my-feet day.

I have a tag I made last weekend that is part of a tag exchange on the design team I serve on for cropchocolate.com. The theme is winter or Christmas. I love this little stamp of the week from Unity, and wanted to showcase it.

I colored the various snowmen with Copic markers. The banner is from the November SMAK kit from Unity. Paper and tree sticker is Echo Park's Winter Wishes. Ribbons are from Really Reasonable Ribbon's monthly club kits. Twine is from Ribbon Carousel. Snowflake brads are from my stash. I am entering this tag in Really Reasonable Ribbon's "Anything but a card with ribbon" challenge (RRR#60).

This card was a Make-and -Take project at a Crop Night at my LSS. The wreath is from Hero Arts. The wood is a thin veneer that can be run through a Cuttlebug or Cricut (or any diecutting machine). I, of course, bought some of it. I am entering this in the Ribbon Carousel blog's Giving Thanks/Fall challenge and 3 Girl JAM's challenge #7 -- Thanksgiving/color challenge/w Ribbon.

Monday, November 12, 2012

I made this card with the last Ippity Chick challenge in mind. I have so enjoyed these challenges ever since I discovered them earlier this year. I'm sorry they are ending, but hope that whoever is responsible for them reads this and knows how much I liked them. Displaying that "featured chick" badge on my blog -4 times!!- made me feel like a true cardmaker, and has given me courage to try new things.

I used these 2 sketches for the card, combining elements from both of them. The cardstock base is Carta Bella natural white. The designer paper is Echo Park's new Winter Wishes 6x6 pad. I used 3 different Tim Holtz alcohol inks on glossy cardstock and ribbon from Really Reasonable Ribbon (RRR59). The stamped image is a Unity Itty Bitty, You Warm my Heart.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Friday, Friends with Flair, and my BFF comes to visit. What could be better? I made a bright card to celebrate the occasion!

We've had some dreary days here in Northwest Wisconsin -- cloudy, drizzly, gloomy. Even when the sun shines, it's so washed out this time of year that it doesn't have much impact. So, I wanted to create something to brighten the world of my BFF when I give her this card.

I created it using Amy Tangerine Sketchbook 6x6 paper, then some glossy cardstock. I used 3 colors of TH alcohol inks and an aircan to achieve the splattered look, then stamped my sentiment and fussy cut it. The flowers are a die by Scrapping Cottage. I'm not totally happy with the flowers. Maybe they need some bling. I think I'll add a little sparkle before I deliver the card. What do you think?

Friday, November 2, 2012

I know Halloween is over, and you are probably tired of Halloween cards by now, but that's what I made this week, and the only thing I have to share. So, please bear with me. This is the last of the Halloween cards -- I promise. I have 3 to share with you today. The first 2 are easel cards. I made them for 2 special ladies at the nursing home where I work. They don't get out of their rooms much, and space is limited, so I wanted a little card that could easily be displayed on their bedside tables without taking up much valuable space. I used Picmonkey.com to make a collage of both cards so you can see different angles.

Cardstock is Bazzill Basics. The designed paper on the second card is from Echo Park's the Apothecary Emporium. Stickers are Hot Off the Press. Bling is CTMH. Googly eyes are from my stash. The stamps are Unity, of course!

This last card is my favorite Halloween card of all -- I saved the best for last! It was also my husband's Halloween card from myself and the 3 Golden retrievers (spooky Golden gang).

Isn't she the CUTEST witch EVER? She is a Phyllis Harris stamp by Unity. Because there is a pumpkin in the image, I am going to enter this in the Unity 'All Things Pumpkin' challenge. The letters are American Crafts Sunset Thickers, inked with Tim Holtz Black Soot. The banner was made with the CTMH Art Philosophy cartridge and CTMH burlap ribbon. Black bling is Making Memories. A Spellbinders die was used and various Copic markers. The base is Carta Bella Kraft cardstock. I hope you enjoyed Halloween! Many of the staff dress up at the nursing home. This year, I was a pirate. Argh!

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

It was a day full of pirates, witches, Elvis, and a few unidentifiable characters at the nursing home today, but lots of fun. I made this card last night but didn't get pictures taken until today after work. I'm squeeking it in for the Ippity Chick's latest challenge and making it just under the wire. Since it's pumpkin themed, I'm also entering it in the Unity 'All about Pumpkins' challenge.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Boo! It's almost Halloween, and I've been working on some Halloween cards this week. I've had something going on after work every night all week, so it literally took me a whole week to finish just 4 cards. One birthday card for my sister-in-law came together very quickly Saturday evening. The 3 Halloween cards, colored with Copics, took me quite awhile. But I like how they turned out, so it was worth it. I have 3 friends I am sending them to and I need to get them in the mail tomorrow, so it was pinch time to get them finished after work today. I'll show you the Halloween cards first.

This first card uses an Ippity stamp, "Halloween Greetings". I am entering it in the Ippity/Unity Opportunity challenge, "things that fly", and Reasonable Ribbon's Halloween challenge (RRR58). Paper is from Making Memories. The purple ribbon behind the border punch is from Really Reasonable Ribbon.

The witch on this second card is from Crafty Secrets. The Sentiment is the same Ippity stamp set used above. Papers are Making Memories (orange), and Echo Park's The Apothecary Emporium 6x6 pad (background). Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I am entering this card in RRR's Halloween challenge, also (RRR58).

My last Halloween card features a Stamp Of the Week from Unity called Thanks, Thanks, and Thanks. The sentiment is the one I used again from the Ippity Halloween Greetings. Papers are from Echo Park's Chillingsworth Manor 6x6 pad. Ribbon is from Really Reasonable Ribbon, so I'm entering it in their Halloween challenge with the other 2 (RRR58). I'm also entering this in Unity's October Challenge, All About Pumpkins.

And, the last card I've got for you today, Friday -- WOOHOO! -- is the card I made for my sister-in-law's birthday. She's an artist, so I'm always a little nervous making cards for her, and she has a little of that quirky artist personality in her, so this is the card I made. I entered in a challenge on the CropChocolate.com site. This past week's challenge was to use a neutral color (like kraft) with at least 3 bright patterned papers. Here's what I came up with:

The stamp is Unity's "You're Cute" by Simple Stories. I masked the boy out of the stamp so I could feature the girl with the balloon, making it into a birthday card. The papers are Amy Tangerine's Sketchbook 6x6. The 'celebrate' sentiment is from a Unity grab bag from a Friends With Flair win. I think the little girl is just the cutest! Love this stamp!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

It's taken me a week, but I think I have completed the challenges from Unity's World Card Making Day event. I did the challenges in no particular order, but I'll try to arrange them somewhat numerically here:

Challenge one was to be a shaped card. No basic shapes like squares or circles were allowed. My husband's birthday is this week, so I made this banner card to give him for his birthday. I will enter it in the Unity banner challenge also.

I used Close To My Heart Typeset papers, the Close To My Heart Art Philosophy cartridge to cut the banner shapes, and Unity's Best Day Ever stamp set.

Challenge #2 is a texture challenge and it's in a post done earlier this week.

Challenge #3 -- embossing. I use dry embossing quite often, but I'm not a huge fan of heat embossing. So, I made myself use the technique on this card:

I clear embossed this tree from the Sept 2011 Kit of the Month, then sponged Tim Holtz evergreen bough distress ink over the diecut shape. Red sparkles from CTMH finished off the tree. Papers are Lily Bee Designs Jingle 6x6. The sentiment is also from the Sept '11 KOTM.

Challenge #4 was a sketch challenge. I like sketch challenges. I seem to need that structure, or base, to get me started. I love how this card turned out.

I used the July 2012 SMAK kit for the white doily, and a stamp of the week -- Best Things Just Happen for the flower. The sentiment was from a Unity grab bag I won with Friends With Flair.
CTMH cardstock, CTMH white daisy ink, Memento tuxedo black ink, various Copic markers, and silk ribbon I won from May Arts completes the card. It is for a friend with a birthday this week.

Here is the sketch I used.

The next challenge, #5, was in a previous post.

Challenge #6 -- we were to stamp a border out of something that isn't a border stamp. Again, with my husband's birthday this week, I thought it would be fun to have a card to give him before work and another in the evening, when we really celebrate his day. So, I made another birthday card, using stars to make my border.

I used Carta Bella kraft cardstock for the base, Authentique Loyal 6x6 papers for the rest of the card, the July 2009 KOTM for a star, the June 2012 KOTM, the May 2012 SMAK, and a SOTW called Balloons to You. I also used a Spellbinder die.

Challenge #7 is a color challenge. I chose to color a Phyllis Harris Fall image.

The paper is a retired line from Close To My Heart. Memento Tuxedo Black ink was used on the stamp, and many Copics on the coloring. The sentiment -- from the same Phyllis Harris set, was stamped in Memento ink also. And, another Spellbinders die.

And, lastly, I completed the Unity Kit of the Month sketch challenge, combining it with the current Ippity Chick Challenge and the Ippity Christmas Challenge.

First I'll show you the sketches, then the card I made that combined them both.

﻿

﻿

And, here's my final card to show you:

I used a Kaisercraft 6x6 Christmas pack, the Aug 2012 Kit of the Month, Copic markers, and CTMH Legacy black pens. Two different circle punches were also used. Now, to link them all up! It's been fun creating all these cards. Thanks, Unity!